Accountability for toxic ship

Last month, Sri Lanka witnessed one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of this nation when the MV X-Press Pearl, a cargo ship carrying chemicals and plastics caught fire a few miles off the coast of Colombo.

According to news reports, this ship was denied access into two foreign ports after the crew alerted these harbours that there was a chemical fire onboard. For reasons never fully explained by the authorities, the vessel was subsequently allowed entry into Sri Lankan waters. The rest is history, as the corpses of precious marine life wash ashore daily, plastic pellets turn sandy beaches sickly white, the fishing industry is crippled, and a potential oil spill spells further doom for our oceans. 

A justifiably incensed public asks their elected representatives damning questions. The crisis, ablaze since 20 May, is far from over and could lead to further devastation if not prudently handled. 

Environmentalists and the owners of the stricken ship claim there are still highly dangerous chemicals onboard that were not destroyed by the fire that raged for nearly two weeks. Further, there are hundreds of tons of engine fuel sealed in the sunken hull that could also potentially leak into the sea. An oil spill would be a death blow to the coastal environment and communities across the island dependent on fisheries and tourism for livelihood. To date, the public have little confidence that the Government is taking the necessary steps to mitigate further environmental harm. 

The potential for an oil spill has been alive for over a week now, since the Xpress Pearl sank into the sea as it was being tugged away from the coastline on the orders of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Yet to date, the Government has taken no steps to contain the spill, or call in international experts to manage the crisis. A few days ago, foreign media published satellite photographs purportedly showing an oil spill emanating from the doomed vessel. Soon afterwards the State Minister for Coast Conservation tweeted that the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard had assured him the report was inaccurate. Since then, Sri Lankan authorities have also confirmed an oil spill. The Government desperately needs to reassure a concerned public of the steps it will take to handle the ongoing crisis. 

What containment measures are available to Sri Lanka to deal with the oil spill from the sinking vessel? What actions are being taken to remove the dangerous material from the ship? Have there been requests for foreign assistance to deal with the disaster? How is the environmental damage going to be minimised? The public demands answers. 

On a broader front, the administration needs to hold those responsible for this eminently preventable disaster to account. The Attorney General reported to court last week that an email received by the local shipping agent from the Captain of the Xpress Pearl, providing forewarning of the chemical leak onboard, had been deleted by the receiver. 

This raises serious questions about whether the local agent had informed the Harbour Master of the Colombo Port and relevant authorities of the actual situation of the vessel before requesting permission for the Xpress Pearl to enter Sri Lankan waters. There is, at a minimum, a prima facie case of criminal negligence or perhaps even intentional concealment by the local agent. Revelations about the shipping company’s connections to the ruling elite do not augur well for the credibility of the Government on this issue. 

Any misconduct, negligence or criminal conduct must be dealt with severely through applicable law. Attempts at a cover-up will further erode public trust and turn an environmental disaster into a catastrophe of governance.